General Guidelines

All detailed guidelines and information will be available in the Entry Pack, which includes the entry kit & FAQ, entry platform, and endorsement guides. It is important to read through them carefully.

MANDATORY SUBMISSION

REGISTRATION: To submit entries, please create your profile and register via our website. Please click on the ENTER NOW button from each region page at www.aoyawards.com. Please note that registration is required each year, and you cannot submit entries without a new registered profile.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: You can download the ENTRY PACK from our website under the HOW TO ENTER section. The Entry Pack includes the Entry Kit, including the FAQ, Entry Templates, Entry Platform guide, and Endorsement Guide. Please download and read carefully before crafting your submissions to ensure compliance with all requirements.

WRITTEN SUBMISSION: The written entry paper is a crucial component of your submission. Ensure you use the appropriate entry template for each category and tailor your entry specifically to that category. Submitting the exact entry across multiple categories may result in score deductions.

DELETE ENTRY: You may only delete an entry while it is in the DRAFT mode or if it has been SUBMITTED WITHOUT PAYMENT ORDER. Once the payment order is confirmed, you cannot delete your entry. Recreating another entry of the same is not acceptable. You can find the “Delete” button on the dashboard.

ENTRY FORMAT: Page Limit: Maximum of 10 single-sided A4 pages. Avoid decorative fonts, as these may hinder readability and negatively impact your score. This limit includes all sections, endorsement boxes, and any blank pages will count as one page.

Font: Minimum 11-point Arial or a similar font type & size such as Open Sans.

ENTRY TEMPLATE: Adhere strictly to the criteria outlined in the specific category template and follow the format guidelines. Section 1 must be included and match the online form. Each criterion header must be stated clearly, as judges will evaluate entries based on these criteria.

ENTRY LAYOUT: You are welcome to design your written entry and structure the content as you see fit. You must ensure that it is easy for judges to read. Maintaining all section headers from the entry template is a must, as well as adhering to the page limit, paper size, and font size.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: As part of the judging, submit a 100-150-word summary through the online form for judging, which will also be used during the awards presentation. Highlight the agency, nominee, or brand and justify why they should win. Do not include company credentials or any sensitive/confidential information. This is the opportunity to allow judges to have an overview of your submission.

HOW TO ENTER: To submit entries, use the ENTER NOW button on each region page of the website, This is the same ENTER NOW button when you register your account.

SUCCESSFUL SUBMISSION: You must ensure you complete the entire submission process, including receiving the Payment Order ID. If you confirm your submission but do not complete the payment process, your entry will not be considered successfully submitted.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Entrants may highlight various sensitive parts in the written entry and/or supporting document by marking the information in yellow.
Information highlighted in yellow will be treated as confidential and will not be used for publishing purposes. Please specify the information that cannot be disclosed rather than marking the entire entry, as Judges may deduct scores from your entry.
The Organiser reserves the right to publish details of the entries that are not marked as confidential.
For any video submission, do not include sensitive information. If necessary, you may send a request to the Organiser explaining where confidential information cannot be disclosed.
An executive summary will be used for judges’ reference and published to highlight the entry if awarded.
No confidential or sensitive information should be provided via the online form in the Executive Summary section.
Any changes will require the Organiser’s approval, and each change will incur a fee of HKD1,500.

PAYMENT PROCESS

Payment Options: You can choose between online and offline methods. Please refer to the payment methods section in the entry kit for all details.
Trusted Vendor: Please check with your internal finance team if you need to add the Organiser as a trusted vendor ahead of your submission. This process can take some time; hence, please begin this process immediately to avoid delaying the payment process. Please email your request and provide the necessary documentation to Finance_Events@haymarket.asia. For South Asia region, please email: niket.lalan@haymarket.co.in cc Avinash Bhakre at avinash.bhakre@haymarket.co.in
Commercial/Tax Invoice: Any commercial invoice or form related to local tax that requires assistance to be filled in by the Organiser should be communicated ahead of the deadlines. Any additional or tax-related costs are to be borne by entrants.

PAYMENT METHODS

(1) ONLINE/OFFLINE: Credit Card / UnionPay

For this option except for SA region, you will be redirected to STRIPE, our secure payment gateway. We accept the following credit card types: VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, and UnionPay cards. There is a 3.5% bank surcharge for this payment option charged by your bank. If you encounter any issues with the credit card online system, please do not attempt to pay again and contact the Organiser immediately at AOY@haymarket.asia.

(2) OFFLINE: Credit Card (South Asia Region only)

Please contact Niket Lalan at niket.lalan@haymarket.co.in and cc avinash.bhakre@haymarket.co.in to request a direct credit card payment link. Credit card payment 3.5% bank surcharge applies.

(3) OFFLINE: Bank Transfer

▪ Bank details will be available on the system after you have completed the order, or you may contact the respective organisers for assistance.

▪ Transaction proof: After making the transfer, please provide the successful transaction proof to confirm payment, clearly stating the ENTRY and ORDER ID numbers and/or invoice number.

▪ Any bank charges incurred through this payment method will be borne by the entrants.

▪ Payment must be completed by noon Hong Kong time (GMT+8) on the next day following submission. South Asia region will be at 9:30am IST on the next day (UTC+-5:30).

▪ The proof of payment should be emailed to Finance_Events@haymarket.asia cc: AOY@haymarket.asia to reconfirm that the entry is completed successfully. For South Asia region, please email niket.lalan@haymarket.co.in and cc avinash.bhakre@haymarket.co.in.

MANDATORY IMAGES

IMAGES: Two (2) unique high-resolution images are required for all categories.

The Organiser reserves the right to use alternative images or NO image to showcase the win across all channels. Any request to replace the image will require the Organiser’s approval and will be subject to a fee.

FILE SIZE & FORMAT

Written Submission: A4, PDF, maximum 10 pages and 5MB
Images: JPG, PNG, 1920x1080px, maximum 2MB, No logo allowed.
Supporting videos: insert a hyperlink, recommended length no more than 2.5 minutes and upload to platform such as Vimeo, YouTube and Youku.
Supporting document: PDF, recommended length – 10-15 pages and 5MB.

For more detailed guidelines please refer to the entry kit.

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

The supporting material allows you to provide videos, data results, or examples of the actual work carried out to support the written submission. You can upload PDF documents, microsites, or videos in the hyperlink format. Please choose supporting material that can strengthen your case only.

For more guidelines, please refer to the entry kit.

ENDORSEMENT

All entries must adhere to the provided endorsement guidelines.

Disqualification: Failure to comply with guidelines may lead to disqualification, and fees will not be refunded.

ENTRANT’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Endorsement is a crucial process, and endorsers are liable for all the data and information submitted is accurate and not misleading. This must be completed promptly and correctly to avoid your entry from being disqualified or not proceeding to the judging stage if this is delayed by the entrant.
Failing to provide the proper endorsement before judging commences will automatically result in exclusion from the judging stage without further notification.
Entrants should ensure the endorsers are authorized to verify all the information submitted.
You must provide a clear explanation if the agency’s endorsers are not in the capacity of the CEO and CFO.
Prior arrangements should be made with your endorsers, especially if the submission is related to the brands.

SUBMISSION COMPLIANCE

Please refer to the Endorsement Guide for the qualified and accepted endorsement format and adhere to the guidelines.

Endorsement Boxes: The endorsement boxes (as per the entry template) must be on the last page of your written submission and included within the 10-page limit. It cannot be inserted on a separate blank page. Failure to comply may result in disqualification, or judges may deduct points at their discretion.
Matching Details: The endorser’s details and signatures must match exactly what is provided on both the written document and the online entry form.
Disqualification: Judges reserve the right to question any information presented in the submission, including supporting materials. All submissions with inaccurate information or misleading claims may be disqualified, with all fees paid being non-refundable.

Who Can Endorse the Entry?

Eligible Endorsers:

Except for Brand of the Year and Marketer of the Year, all entries must be endorsed, authorized, and signed off by both your Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (CEO and CFO) or an individual of sufficient seniority to verify the entry information.
Regional CEOs or CFOs can endorse entries for their local offices.
In cases where the CEO also holds the role of CFO, the next most senior individual in the operation or finance department can endorse the entry. Please state the reason on the online form why this endorser is eligible to endorse.
Qualified endorsers include, but are not limited to: Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director, Finance Director, etc, but they must be the most senior in the capacity of the CEO or CFO. If in doubt, please check with the Organiser before you proceed.

Detailed guidelines and endorsement samples are available in the entry pack, all details please refer to the files.

JURY PANEL

The judging panel consists of leading client marketers across the Asia-Pacific region. Every judge is required to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and is expected to adhere to the terms of the confidentiality agreement.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Judges will score based on the criteria that include, but are not limited to, achievement against objectives, scope of operation, business growth, client profile and disciplines, new business wins, client retention and relationships, awards and recognition, staff retention, and development initiatives.
Judges will also consider how the agency, nominee, or brand has positively contributed to the advancement and reputation of the industry during the review period, providing examples of work, tools, and initiatives that lead the industry.
It is highly recommended to provide clear evidence of commercial success relevant to the category, and ROI is highly recommended. This will give judges a better understanding of the success achieved during the eligibility period.
Entrants can highlight any confidential or sensitive information in yellow to indicate that it should not be disclosed.
If a criterion is not addressed, the judge may, at their sole discretion, provide a lower score for that section.

POINT SYSTEM

The point system and calculation are applied to all network categories for the Creative, Digital Innovation, Media, and PR Network of the Year.
The same calculation is applied to regional awards for Greater China, South Asia, and Southeast Asia for the Creative, Digital Innovation, Media, PR Agency of the Year, and Southeast Asia Independent Agency of the Year categories. However, these wins will not contribute any points to the respective Network of the Year.
The agency with the highest total number of points (with a minimum of two wins including at least one gold) will be awarded the respective Network Awards or the Regional Awards mentioned above.
In the event of a tie in total points between agency networks, the winner with the highest-ranking awards prevail — first by the number of Golds, then Silvers, then Bronzes.
The regional awards to be awarded based on the point system are:

Greater China Creative Agency of the Year
Greater China Digital Innovation Agency of the Year
Greater China Media Agency of the Year
Greater China PR Agency of the Year
South Asia Creative Agency of the Year
South Asia Digital Innovation Agency of the Year
South Asia Media Agency of the Year
South Asia PR Agency of the Year
Southeast Asia Creative Agency of the Year
Southeast Asia Digital Innovation Agency of the Year
Southeast Asia Independent Agency of the Year
Southeast Asia Media Agency of the Year
Southeast Asia PR Agency of the Year

The four Network categories are as follows and will be calculated based on the points system.

Asia-Pacific Creative Network of the Year
Asia-Pacific Digital Innovation Network of the Year
Asia-Pacific Media Network of the Year
Asia-Pacific PR Network of the Year

MARKET	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE
China	10	6	3
India	9	5	2.5
Australia	8	4	2
Japan	8	4	2
Others	5	2	1

For more details on calculation and eligibility, please refer to the entry kit under Point System.

Other information can be found via our entry kit, or contact the Organiser at AOY@haymarket.asia.